Big Burritos and Cocktail Flights at TJ’s in Bloomfield

A TJ’s Burritos meal can begin with a burrito substantial enough to command the whole table, then continue with chips and salsa, a colorful margarita or a round of small pours from a cocktail flight. The Bloomfield restaurant brings together the casual logic of a burrito stop and the much broader possibilities of a full bar.

The food is generous without being locked into one narrow idea of Mexican-inspired cooking. Traditional selections share menu space with creative combinations and build-your-own choices, so a group can take very different paths without needing separate restaurants.

It works just as naturally for a quick takeout dinner as for settling into a booth, ordering drinks and taking time over the menu. Takeout burritos come with chips and salsa on the side, a small welcome addition when dinner is headed home rather than straight to the table.

The burritos are the central event: large, generously filled and made with ingredients that come across as fresh. A build-your-own order gives diners room to steer the meal toward familiar favorites or make something more personal.

Vegetarian diners have a substantial portion of the menu to work with rather than a single fallback choice. That flexibility is useful when one person wants a classic burrito, another is skipping meat, and someone else is ready to experiment.

The menu also gives returning diners a reason not to repeat themselves automatically. New items and special menus periodically add another layer of choice, though the specific offerings and flavors can change.

Burritos may get top billing, but the broader menu invites some branching out. Tacos, quesadillas, nachos, wraps, fries and other creative entrées make it easy to turn a simple meal into a table full of things to sample.

Pork belly tacos and shrimp are among the choices beyond the usual burrito territory. The Cuban quesadilla is another appealing detour, with the sort of rich, pressed-together comfort that can easily become a repeat order.

Loaded nachos are a natural shareable, arriving with generous toppings rather than a skimpy scatter across the chips. They make sense at the start of a longer sit-down meal, especially when drinks are involved.

A chicken Caesar wrap shows the restaurant’s willingness to wander outside a strict burrito-and-taco script. It has appeared alongside a shamrock margarita finished with a rainbow gummy, which gives a good sense of how playful the food-and-drink pairing can get.

TJ’s cocktail list is unusually expansive for a restaurant centered on burritos. Margaritas come in several flavor directions, including watermelon, blackberry habanero and shamrock, with fruit-forward options sharing space with drinks that bring some heat.

The blackberry habanero is a good example of the bar’s flavor-first approach: not just a standard margarita in a different color, but a combination built around sweet fruit and peppery contrast. A large margarita has also appeared in a bucket-style presentation for anyone in the mood to make a little occasion of it.

Coffee and lemonade are available in multiple flavors, too, so the non-cocktail side of the menu has more going on than a routine soda order.

The flights are one of the most enjoyable reasons to linger. Rather than committing to a single drink, diners can sample several flavors through gin, mimosa, margarita, espresso martini and vodka-based flight options when those selections are on the menu.

An espresso martini flight is especially suited to the format, offering foamy-topped drinks with a noticeable coffee flavor. It can turn dessert-time into a small tasting session without requiring everyone at the table to order the same thing.

The changing nature of specials, flights and happy-hour offerings is worth keeping in mind. Margarita happy-hour selections have been offered, but exact drinks, prices and timing can vary.

Inside, the Bloomfield location has a renovated, relaxed look with an open bar as a focal point. The setting is comfortable for conversation, with a moderate level of dining-room energy rather than a hushed atmosphere.

Fresh herbs growing directly in front of the bar provide a particularly nice detail, and they are used in drinks. Sit at the bar and you can watch the cocktail service unfold while considering the menu’s many routes.

The staff can help sort through the wide range of food and cocktail choices, which is useful when the question is no longer simply burrito or tacos, but perhaps margarita flight or espresso martini flight as well.

Diners can choose among bar seating, indoor tables, booths and an outdoor patio. The indoor dining area is relatively compact, so the bar and patio add useful options when available.

A free parking lot with ample parking keeps the arrival uncomplicated. Reservations have not been necessary for at least some visits, though seating conditions can vary with the day and time.

For a fast meal, takeout keeps the focus squarely on the oversized burrito and its side of chips and salsa. For a longer evening, the same restaurant can stretch into nachos for the table, a quesadilla or tacos, and enough cocktail flavors to justify one more small pour.